RELIGIOUS PHENOMENA IN THE SOCIAL NETWORK VK (ON THE EXAMPLE OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES)

The purpose of the article is to examine the prevalence of religious phenomena within the social networking platform VK, focusing on communities that center on Christian content. The author undertakes a comprehensive analysis of search queries and their corresponding results within these communities. The study explores the registered communities dedicated to Christian matters within the VK social network, analyzing their names and content. The author develops a classification of these communities, searching and examining their respective tags and particularities. The study has deepened the understanding of the ongoing processes of religion digitalization in the online sphere, and it has demonstrated the changes in socio-cultural practices. The author has considered religion online by using Christian communities in the social network VK as an example. The paper has broadened the idea of opportunities, prospects, and threats to religion in the online sphere.